It is He Who expelled the disbelievers among the People given the Book(s) from their homes, for their first gathering; you did not expect them to leave, whereas they assumed that their fortresses would save them from Allah, so Allah’s command came to them from a place they had not imagined; and He instilled awe in their hearts, so they ruin their own houses by their own hands and at the hands of the Muslims; therefore learn a lesson, O those who can perceive!
(Dan Allah melemparkan) maksudnya menanamkan (rasa takut ke dalam hati mereka) dapat dibaca ar-ru'ba atau ar-ru'uba, artinya rasa takut mati, karena pemimpin mereka bernama Ka'b bin Asyraf telah terbunuh mati (mereka memusnahkan) dapat dibaca yukharribuuna, dan kalau dibaca yukhribuuna berarti berasal dari lafal akhraba, artinya merusak (rumah-rumah mereka) untuk mengambil barang-barang yang dianggap berharga oleh mereka berupa kayu-kayu dan lain-lainnya (dengan tangan mereka sendiri dan tangan orang-orang yang beriman. Maka ambillah hal itu untuk menjadi pelajaran, hai orang-orang yang mempunyai pandangan).